Greg Abbott Loses Suit Against EPA, Texans' Environment Wins

Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General and likely 2014 GOP nominee for governor, has been fighting the EPA over power plant permits since 2010. That was the year the EPA decided to begin intervening in thirteen states' power plant permit approval processes because those states did not consider greenhouse gas emissions in its evaluations.

The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the EPA in the joint lawsuit on Friday, with the majority holding that the states had failed “to show how they have been injured” by EPA involvement in their permitting process. Texans aware of the detrimental effects greenhouse gas proliferation on our planet's climate can breathe a little easier, and those unaware of the effects can enjoy cleaner air either way. In the past, Abbott described the EPA's actions as part of an “unprecedented and overreaching greenhouse gas environmental regulatory scheme” by the Obama administration. This from a climate denier who believes our environment is not in danger.

Read more below the jump.This is one of 28 cases Abbott has filed against the Obama administration, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. In fact, Abbott brags frequently: “I go into the office in the morning. I sue Barack Obama, and then I go home.” Abbott goes toe-to-toe with Rick Perry when it comes to extreme, partisan stances. A climate denier and a reckless waster of taxpayer money has no place in the governor's mansion.

Cyrus Reed, conservation director with the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, celebrated the ruling:

“The U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts have now ruled in favor of controlling climate disrupting-pollution nine times,” Reed said. “Attorney General Greg Abbott and Commissioner Bryan Shaw preferred to spend their time and resources on lawsuits doomed to fail, regardless of the consequences for Texas's economy, rather than cooperating with the Environmental Protection Agency and upholding the law. Carbon pollution protections are the law, even in Texas. After three years of damaging droughts, it is time for the large polluters and state agencies alike to join the environmental community in working to reduce emissions.”

“While Texas officials were wasting taxpayer dollars with fights against the federal government, Texas legislators were quietly updating state laws in early 2013 to require TCEQ to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act,” continued Reed. “Abbott and Shaw have spent millions of taxpayer dollars on these frivolous lawsuits rather than letting regulators do their jobs. With today's ruling and the new efforts by the Obama Administration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, smart utilities will take all necessary steps to reduce their carbon output.”

About Author

Ben Sherman has been a BOR staff writer since 2011. A graduate of the University of Texas, Ben has worked on campaigns, in political consulting, and has written for other news outlets like Think Progress. Ben considers campaign finance reform the fundamental challenge of our time because it distorts almost every other issue in American politics.